Compared to Apple’s iPhone 15 (based on the Pro Max), which was released in September last year, the number of parts produced in Korea (産) has halved, while that of Japan has more than quadrupled. “After disassembling Vision Pro by requesting Formal House Technology Solutions, a research firm, Japan-made parts accounted for the largest portion at 42 percent,” the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Wednesday. According to the research firm, only 13 percent of parts were produced in Korea, more than three times the number of parts produced in Japan. Japan’s parts cost 1,200 dollars, or more than one third of the sales price of Vision Pro (3499 dollars). Vision Pro is a product that is worn and enjoyed by eyes like goggles, and analysts say that the product is widely used as parts in the optical device sector due to its global competitiveness. From small-sized displays, the most expensive parts of Vision Pro, it was 70,000 yen worth of parts produced by Sony. The left and right parts of the Vision Pro have organic light emitting diode displays measuring 3 centimeters in width. The resolution is 2,900 based on PPI (number of pixels per inch), which is more than twice that of Meta’s virtual reality headset “Quest 3” 1100. Integrated with the lens, the technology used to tighten screws at an angle is recognized as ultra-precise technology that does not deviate at all. Its small fan that cools down heat generated in the process of processing massive amounts of data was also manufactured by Nidec in Japan. Nidec is Japan’s leading motor maker that makes precision small motors on hard disks and motors for on vehicles. Nand flash memory, which stores data even when the power is off, has been adopted by Japan’s Kioxia product.
Some point out that Korea, which boasted of the world’s best technology in smartphones and displays, may be losing its competitiveness in the next generation of information technology (IT) devices. Some Korean parts are DRAM, which loses data when the power is turned off, and SK Hynix’s products stand out. Processors for calculations and video processing were manufactured by Apple. The results stand out more when compared to the iPhone 15, which Apple released in September last year. As for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, parts manufactured in Korea accounted for the largest portion of the product excluding the U.S. The iPhone 15 used Samsung Display, LG Display, and LG Innotek. The iPhone 15 only accounted for 10 percent of Japanese parts.”Japan’s 3D optical technology, which boasts of unrivaled status in the camera field by realizing the 3D world in 2D (two-dimensional plane) through vision programs, has been highly evaluated,” Nikkei said. Japan has been developing world-class optical technology with Canon, Sony, and Nikon, which dominate the global camera market.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
